Paladin visits the Vet

Its 11:47 pm
cold/raining

So I had been noticing that Paladin had picked up a slight cough and so I decided to take him for a check-up and a wellness check while we’re there.
I called and made his appointment but because he had a slight cough,I had to bring in through the dog door,I wasn’t having that so I said we’ll stay in the car until his time and you can send someone to get us. They agreed to that but when I got there,the lobby was empty. So I brought Paladin in but yeah,you already know what happened,a very nice family brought in their sick dog. They had a little girl about 4 years old who heard Paladin and asked me what did I have,I said I had a cheetah and she asked her mom if  she see the cheetah? It was really cute.
Soon we are in the room and he is getting grumpy of course,I leave him in the career so I can warn the staff what they’re going to get. An tech comes in and I tell her “Get the gloves,you’re going to need ’em”. Instead she beings a towel which carries a pheromones which is supposed to calm Paladin down,well,he and I both had a laugh about that.
Then the doctor comes in and its poppin’….I let him out and it goes from a guy and his cheetah to Paladin Vs. Everybody and yep,that includes me. They manage to get get him on the exam table as I back away and try to remember what my blood type is,you know,just in case……
The noise in such a small room is incredible…..the doctor and tech both pull back and decide a seditive is in order,for Paladin…..outside I can hear the little girl tell her momma “I don’t wanna see the cheetah amymore!!!”.
So Paladin is pissed and his tail is fluffed and he is growling…..I squat down and tell him “Be mad all you want but if you come at me,we’re going to have problems”. Its the first thing I said to him when I brought him home and had let him out of his carrier.
He wanted back in his carrier but then the vet and his aide came back and they gave him his seditive,it slowed him down but not as much as they thought it would.  But 20 minutes later,they came and got him for his X-rays and blood work.
30 minutes after that,he came back and he was really doped up,the doctor said he almost had to knock him out for the work he had to do….he said Paladin would bounce back fairly quick and it appeared he was recovering even while we were talking.
I paid the bill (which they charged me 45.00 for the seditive!!) and we headed home.
Normally it takes Paladin about 10 minutes to become his old loving self after he gets out of his carrier but once I let him out,I could really see just how out of it he was and he was really scared. I let him back in carrier and took him downstairs,I didn’t trust him going down,I was afraid he would fall….its now 45 minutes after we got home and he is still wobbly,I’m concerned especially since he was was grumpy….An hour later he makes it up the stairs but wobbly and mad,I scruffed him and put him in the bathroom until he becomes himself again….which is ANOTHER hour,I let him out and he proceeds to fall asleep and he slept for hours. By this time,I’m getting pretty pissed myself but I’m going to be patient and see how he does when he wakes up. I lie next to him and tap the blanket,Paladin wobbles over and under and curls up in my arm and sleeps for about 3 more hours.
The next day I’m supposed to have lunch with my buddy Catfish but I call him and tell him what happened and take a rain check,Catfish is a good friend.
Paladin is in great shape but his lungs are a little inflamed,they call and give me the results and I asked for a note in his file;”No seditives”. This was not a pleasant experience for either of us but I understand why they used it,Paladin just hates the vets,I have never seen any animal that isn’t feral or wild act like this.
He is back to hs normal self,when I woke up this morning,he was perched on my hip,sleeping and he looking forward to watching more “Sherlock”.

Cheetahs…….